Is your dash warm on top?

[TonyPa]

I just bought my 65 Belvedere the other day. While on the drive home, and also another quick shot out to get it inspected. I had the old AM radio playing.
I don't know why, but I put my hand on the top of the dash, as in where the speaker would be, and across the whole top of the metal on top. It seemed kind of warm, almost hot, but not too hot to touch or anything scary. Just a touch above warm, if that makes sense.
I found that odd.
Has anyone experience that?
Is it a tube radio in these older cars, that get warm? I can't guess at anything else.
Just for reference, it was in the garage, and not sitting in the sun, and while I was out, it was not sunny or anything.

 

[moparsteve636]

It's a very confined space! With the radio on it does get warm, There's no air moving. It's nothing to worry about!

 

[Sonny Black]

yes, my '63 is warm...never was b4...I think it is some coolant getting past my heater core...I messed around with the heater and was not successful...just a bit warm...hum!

 

[TonyPa]

Thanks guys. Just thought it was odd. But then again, she is 50 years old, and will do odd things for me I am sure...LOL

 

[djbr459]

I pulled the dash out of my 66 Coronet and there is insulation near the top. It is somewhat deteriorated which may cause the top of the dash to get warm. I have seen replacements on ebay.

 

[TonyPa]

I pulled the dash out of my 66 Coronet and there is insulation near the top. It is somewhat deteriorated which may cause the top of the dash to get warm. I have seen replacements on ebay.

Oh, I had no idea about that. I don't even know where to begin with taking the dash apart with it being metal...etc. Can I just leave that part alone?

 

[nm9stheham]

Another possibility is that there is hot air coming into the air box from the engine compartment. There is a rubber strip across the top of the firewall that is sealed against the underside of the hood when the hood closes that blocks hot engine air from getting into the fresh air louvres at the base of the windshield. There may is usually also a rubber 'flapper' on the passenger side of the firewall that covers the exterior air box drains and keeps engine air out of the fresh air box.

Do you have AC or not? If you have the heating/cooling control in the COOL position (not A/C but fresh cool air only) does the air under the dash blow cool from the outside or hit like from the engine bay?

I don't know when the radios switched 100% from tubes; my '62 has a factory AM radio (Bendix)which is half tubes and half transistors.

I would not dig into the dash yet!

Are any of the guages or controls or key switch area hot? Pay attention to the ammeter area. And is the blower working well when you select any position except OFF? Check the bulkhead electrical connectors for any signs of heat or melting. These are the problem areas in the electrical system to keep a close eye on.

 

[TonyPa]

Another possibility is that there is hot air coming into the air box from the engine compartment. There is a rubber strip across the top of the firewall that is sealed against the underside of the hood when the hood closes that blocks hot engine air from getting into the fresh air louvres at the base of the windshield. There may is usually also a rubber 'flapper' on the passenger side of the firewall that covers the exterior air box drains and keeps engine air out of the fresh air box.

Do you have AC or not? If you have the heating/cooling control in the COOL position (not A/C but fresh cool air only) does the air under the dash blow cool from the outside or hit like from the engine bay?

I don't know when the radios switched 100% from tubes; my '62 has a factory AM radio (Bendix)which is half tubes and half transistors.

I would not dig into the dash yet!

Are any of the guages or controls or key switch area hot? Pay attention to the ammeter area. And is the blower working well when you select any position except OFF? Check the bulkhead electrical connectors for any signs of heat or melting. These are the problem areas in the electrical system to keep a close eye on.

Thanks for the extra info. I don't have a/c. I will check everything you just advised me on tomorrow. The blower works, but I still need to understand the controls. Their a bit different.
I did notice on the firewall, passenger side, below the balance resistor, there is duct tape, covering something. I will pull that and see what it is.

 

[TonyPa]

Also. here's a photo of my dash cluster that I have on my pc already. It should blow up when clicked on. Well, bad choice of words...hehehe

 

[nm9stheham]

Your heat & air controls ought to disable the blower when OFF and enable the blower when an any of the 3 'active' positions (Heat, Defrost, and Cool). 'Cool' opens up the floor vents wide open to the fresh air box; if working, it'll provide a really strong breeze around your feet when moving above 25 mph; I love old Mopar floor vents! The duct tape is probably covering the drain for the fresh air box; see if it is covering an oval shaped or round hole. It came with an matching rubber flapper attached at the top of the hole. If closed up with tape, it will keep the hot engine air out but trap water in, if the car is parked out side or run through rain.

 

[TonyPa]

Okay, here we go! A novel!....
I went up the garage to see what was up. Okay, I let the car run for a long time. Now the dash did not get warm while sitting in the garage idling forever. I have no idea! However....Okay. I see some problems.
I was asked if the temp gauge worked, since the fuel gauge didn't.
Okay, heres before turning the car on, and warming it up. Notice both gauges.

Okay, after the car warmed up...The temp gauge moved, but doesn't seem right. Shouldn't it be higher??
And noticed the gas gauge is working, but not properly!! Compare to the above photo. The tank is at least half full. Notice the next photo.

Okay, also....sorry for the long post.
I pulled the headlights on. They worked. But the high beam, "little red light", was on the whole time.
If I put the high beams on, it stays on, but dimms down. If I turn the high beams OFF, it gets bright. Ugh!!!!!
The dash lights not not work, unless I turn the headlight knob all the way to the position of the dome light coming on, then they work. This is nuts, I know!!!

 

[nm9stheham]

Radio not on? >> Cool dash

Guages: There is a device called a voltage limiter by Mopar on the back of the instrument cluster that takes the 12v and regulates it down to around 5v for the temp and fuel guage circuits (and oil pressure guage if installed). You can test this with a voltmeter; it will switch off-on-off-on-.....continously giving 0-12-0-12...volts out. The average output will be around 5 volts since 'off' is a bit longer than 'on'. If that is OK, then check the wires, but the sensors are probably off. Try the temp guage while driving it a while. Either might improve with regular use... or not.

 

[TonyPa]

Radio not on? >> Cool dash

Guages: There is a device called a voltage limiter by Mopar on the back of the instrument cluster that takes the 12v and regulates it down to around 5v for the temp and fuel guage circuits (and oil pressure guage if installed). You can test this with a voltmeter; it will switch off-on-off-on-.....continously giving 0-12-0-12...volts out. The average output will be around 5 volts since 'off' is a bit longer than 'on'. If that is OK, then check the wires, but the sensors are probably off. Try the temp guage while driving it a while. Either might improve with regular use... or not.

Oh I forgot. Radio was not on! I made sure!
I will have to pull the dash, and look behind there, and see what your talking about. I have a good voltmeter. i hope the dash is not a pain to get apart.
Is this limiter available if needed? And also, do I just turn the ignition to the ON postion when checking this thing I will find? Sorry, for the dumbness. I can't picture what the part will look like yet, and wether to have the car running to test it, or just the ignition on.
I did notice though, my negative battery cable is horrible. I have to pick up one tomorrow. Half the insulation is gone, and there just strands of wire! Looks like the ground has never been cleaned that goes to the block also!

 

[nm9stheham]

You can get to the voltage limiter by pulling the instrument cluster, not the whole dash; I have to pull the steering wheel on my '62 to get the cluster out. You can also measure this voltage by simply turning the ignition switch to ON and pulling the wire off at the temp sensor on the engine and measuring it at the end of that wire. (Same thing can be done at the fuel sender.) Using a digital guage, this migth be difficlut; you just have to look for the reading to jump from zero to a higher voltage and back.

A limiter is pictured here and is around and inch long or so; there are a a few variations, and I see one on eBay right now for an earlier Plymouth. Classic may have them too. http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=162489

Make sure your grounds are good, including the block to chassis ground. And there is a ground wire from chassis to the top of the fuel tank by the fuel sender that has to be connected and be clean.

Download the schematic for your car at www.mymopar.com; you will be using it.

 

[TonyPa]

Thank you. I do have a nice digital gauge I bought at radio shack. I will test them at the senders, might be easier.
And I will clean up all the grounds. my Negative battery cable is just a thick band of stranded wire now. He let it go to long. The insulation is gone. I just got the car, so I need to make a list of simple things to get today, and change them first. I don't know if the battery cable would cause that, but it is shot.
i will clean all grounds, firewall...etc.

 

[nm9stheham]

And it will help to put some dielectric grease over each connection: Dow4 or No-Ox used in electrical work will do. This is optional, some folks don't like it messy. But it is a very good thing to do on the bulkhead connections and other under dash connections.

 

[TonyPa]

And it will help to put some dielectric grease over each connection: Dow4 or No-Ox used in electrical work will do. This is optional, some folks don't like it messy. But it is a very good thing to do on the bulkhead connections and other under dash connections.

Thats actually a great idea. I have to stop by advance, if they don't have it, maybe radio shack will.